Aug. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Tiger Woods said he felt no ill effects
after his first round of tournament golf following an almost
four-month layoff caused by knee and Achilles tendon injuries.

Woods enters today’s second round of the Bridgestone
Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, six shots
behind Adam Scott, who is using Woods’s former caddie, Steve
Williams. Scott is one stroke ahead of fellow Australian Jason Day.

“I went out there and just let it go, let it rip,” Woods
told reporters yesterday after shooting a 2-under-par 68 at the
course where he’s won seven times. “It felt awesome.”

American Nick Watney is third at 5 under and is followed by
nine players, including 2009 British Open winner Stewart Cink,
at 4 under. Phil Mickelson is one of five players at 3 under.

Woods had three birdies and a bogey over his final nine
holes after beginning with nine straight pars. He said his
biggest issue is learning to control how far he hits his irons
because his swing speed has changed since he began working with
coach Sean Foley.

“Now I’m swinging easier,” Woods said. “I’m not even
hitting it hard yet and that’s what’s fun. I’m hitting it
farther without any more effort.”

Woods’s last competitive round was May 12, when he pulled
out of the Players Championship after nine holes. The former
world No. 1, who has dropped to 28th in the Official World Golf
Ranking during his absence from the U.S. PGA Tour, said he
doesn’t need to favor his knee or ankle, having completed his
rehabilitation.

‘Time to Go’

“I’ve done all the work, I’ve done all the training, I’ve
done all the lifting,” Woods said. “It’s time to go.”

The 14-time major champion is playing with childhood friend
Bryon Bell as his caddie after firing Williams last month. Woods
said he had to calculate his own yardages yesterday. Scott said
Williams’s prior success at the course with Woods helped him.

“He has a really great knowledge of this golf course,”
Scott said. “He didn’t think it was a big deal to shoot 62. It
was normal.”

Woods’s layoff hasn’t stopped Las Vegas bettors from
wagering on him. He began the tournament with 20-1 odds to win,
tied for fifth best in the field of 77 players, even though he
hasn’t won a title since the Australian Masters 21 months ago.
He’s been the most popular golfer at the Las Vegas Hilton’s Race
and Sports Book, picked on more than 10 percent of tickets.

The four-time U.S. PGA Championship winner is listed as the
fifth favorite at 20-1 for that event next week, trailing
Masters champion Rory McIlroy, Mickelson, world No. 2 Lee
Westwood and the top-ranked Luke Donald.

A year ago, Woods finished next to last at Firestone after
shooting 18 over par, his worst 72-hole score as a professional.
He said that’s unlikely to be repeated this year.

“There’s no reason why I should be worried out there,” he
said. “I’ve got the competitive feel now.”